Longboat Observer 1.29.26

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2026

YOUR TOWN

Chapel gifts $3K, supplies to Turning Points

Longboaters presented Turning Points volunteers with a car full of cleaning supplies and a $3,000 check at the Jan. 20 Gather and Give potluck and donation drive.

Attendees heard from Turning Points volunteer and Events

Coordinator Carolyn Nielsen at Longboat Island Chapel, where she broke down the organization’s yearly impact report.

The Bradenton group has been assisting families facing homelessness for 30 years through its Day Resource Center, medical services. Last year, members served 4,358 clients and provided 117,847 services.

Those looking to help can call 941-747-1509 or visit

TPManatee.org. The chapel is also collecting detergent, bath towels, wash cloths, sample toiletries and other cleaning items through the end of the month.

Plaza celebrates grand openings

The Shoppes of Bay Isles complex was buzzing Jan. 22 as both Reed Medical Group and Longboat Key Fitness cut ribbons.

After several moves, Dr. James Reed said he especially appreciates the long-term proximity to Longboat Key Fitness, which he said will be a boon to their physical therapy programs.

Owner Petar Sibinkic hopes the personal training studio will be poised to help residents stay active with its new equipment and services.

Longboat takes a bite out of crime

OF JAN. 29, 2026

BY THE NUMBERS

“People work their whole life, and their life savings can disappear with a click of a button.”

Longboat Key Police Chief Russ Mager Read more on page 3A

The Longboat Pass Bridge connecting the northern end of Longboat Key to Coquina Beach is nearing its seventh decade in service, and the Florida Department of Transportation is evaluating a potential replacement.

Two public hearings on the subject, one in-person and one virtual, are tentatively scheduled for March with the goal of gathering community feedback.

The in-person meeting is tentatively planned for March 12, and the virtual meeting March 17. Meeting times are to be determined, as is the location of the

in-person meeting.

The Longboat Pass drawbridge was built in 1957 and reconstructed in 2005 and 2020. The bridge is described by FDOT as functionally obsolete. Initially, FDOT considered repairing the bridge as an alternative. That is no longer a possibility.

“The bridge must be replaced,” a spokesperson said. “The final design option will be shown to the public at the hearing.”

In March 2024, public workshops were held where residents were presented with three potential options: a 23-foot clearance drawbridge, a 36-foot clearance

drawbridge or a fixed span bridge with a 78-foot clearance.

The 78-foot bridge would be taller than the Ringling Causeway Bridge connecting downtown Sarasota to St. Armands Circle. Longboat Key Town Commission wrote a letter to FDOT voicing its opposition to the fixed span design.

The project is in the Project Development and Environment Study phase.

After the study is completed, a build or no-build recommendation is made, which determines whether the project will advance to the design phase.

Buchanan says he won’t seek re-election

Ten-term U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida’s 16th District announced Tuesday he will retire at the conclusion of his current term after 20 years. Buchanan, vice chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee, will leave office as the longestserving Republican to represent Southwest Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives.

District 16 represents eastern Hillsborough County and all of Manatee County, though the Longboat Key resident once represented the northern segment of Sarasota County. His term comes to a close in 2027.

“Serving the people of Southwest Florida has been the honor of my lifetime,” Buchanan said in a news release. “I came to Congress to solve problems, to fight for working families and to help ensure this country remains a place where opportunity is available to everyone willing to work for it. After 20 years of service, I believe it’s the right time to pass the torch and begin a new chapter in my life.”

Over his career, 51 of his bills and legislative initiatives were signed into law. He was also instrumental in securing $27.8 million to design and build a national veterans cemetery in Sarasota.

Buchanan and his wife, Sandy, recently donated $1 million to build a library and community center on Longboat Key, which will bear their names.

Ringling College names

new president

The Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota has a new president: Davis Schneiderman, a professor, official and senior leader at Lake Forest College in Illinois for nearly 25 years.

He will assume office June 1, according to a statement.

“Everything I’ve done when I reflect has led me to Ringling,” Schneiderman said at a press conference. “I see in Ringling a powerful creative incubator.”

Schneiderman will replace Larry Thompson as president.

ROAD SAFETY

Another priority for the department is keeping the roads safe. There were 114 crashes in the 2025 fiscal year, a 23% increase from the previous year. Crash data and analysis provided by the state of Florida shows that the top causes of crashes were from drivers following too closely, failure to yield, careless driving and improper lane change. The department heavily favored issuing warnings (4,000 issued) over issuing traffic citations (1,900).

ONE DEPUTY CHIEF OUT, TWO OFFICERS IN

Deputy Police Chief Frank Rubino’s position will not be filled by the Longboat Key Police Department, Mager said.

Instead, he is opting to bring on two additional officers.

NOT CRIME-FREE, BUT CLOSE

S.T. CARDINAL STAFF WRITER

LThe barrier island has a lower crime rate than the national average in every category, but the new police chief still has goals for the new year.

“After really taking the time to consider the needs of the agency, I opted not to (fill Rubino’s position),” Mager told commissioners. “What I’d rather do and what I am doing is backfill working positions more on the road and the marine unit. Bodies on the road are the workers, and my goal is to provide more visibility and more ability to handle and address any issues or concerns that are going on with the town.”

There are three open positions with the police department. All three will be uniformed officer positions.

ongboat Key and crime are two things that don’t really go hand-in-hand.

The barrier island with an affluent populace and median age of 71 doesn’t have much of a night life scene, or a lot of outsiders that might cause trouble. It’s safe to say that, in general, its residents are pretty well-behaved. Regardless, police stay busy. With a police force of 23, there were about 21,000 calls to service in the 2025 calendar year. At a Town Commission workshop meeting Jan. 20, Police Chief Russ Mager broke down some numbers for town leaders about what police had been up to in the previous year and talked about his goals for his first full year on the job.

FRAUD

Mager, who started with the department in August 2025, said fraud is one of his biggest concerns. The department investigated 14 fraud cases in 2025, a jump from the 11 investigated in 2024.

“Fraud is a little concerning to me because we have an elderly community,” Mager said. It’s sad because people work their whole life, and their life savings can disappear with a click of a button.” Mager said education is easier than enforcement because the perpetrators of fraud are often out of state or out of the country, and investigations often lead to dead ends.

“We’re working on educating,” Mager said. “That’s really the best way to combat this.”

CAMERAS AS A TOOL

Mager said cameras and license plate readers play an important role in policing the barrier island. Six license plate readers stationed on either side of Gulf of Mexico Drive alert officers when a vehicle’s registered owner has a warrant or has an expired license or tag.

“They definitely have an impact on the number of traffic stops,” he said.

Those traffic stops often lead to more serious charges.

“We derive a tremendous amount of arrests and drugs from traffic stops, unfortunately,” Mager said.

There were 280 arrests (27 felonies)

There were several crime statistics shared by Mager that could raise some alarm: 14 batteries, 14 drug offenses and 19 reports of theft.

“You think about Longboat Key. We’re a quiet, little reserved neighborhood, and how do we have 20 or 19 batteries (in 2023 and 2024)?

So, I delved a little further,” Mager told the Commission. “Over half of those were domestic-related, and of those domestic ones, a large portion weren’t from people who were residents here; they were visitors.” Domestic violence is a difficult crime to prevent.

by the Longboat Key Police Department in 2025. The previous year, there were 310, but fewer (16) from felony charges. Cameras also help the department solve a variety of crimes. The department can utilize cameras the town has installed and also reaches out to businesses for footage when investigating crimes.

In the future, the police department may look at facial recognition technology.

“There are software programs that basically take your face as long as it grabs it to a certain degree and then looks for similar images like if you have a Florida driver’s license,’’ he said.

ARRESTS, TICKETS, CRASHES

“What goes on in a home, what goes on between a husband and wife — hard to impact that,” Mager said. “It’s hard to say we’re going to put out some initiative to make an impact on domestic violence. It’s not that easy.”

Mager said the number of thefts could be alarming to residents, but that the number portrays every single report of theft from petty theft to grand theft. It also doesn’t mean each of those crimes actually occurred, but just that they were reported.

CALLS FOR SERVICE INCREASE WITH NUMBER OF OFFICERS

A cursory glance of annual calls to service may look as though there was a jump in crime from 2023 to 2024, which continued in 2025, but Mager said the bump from about 15,000 calls to service to about 20,000 was due to reduced staffing in 2023.

“In 2023, we had less employees here, and that definitely impacts selfinitiated activity,” Mager said. “It’s not the calls for service that you get over the radio; it’s going out and checking neighborhoods, checking businesses, doing those extra patrols and traffic enforcement. The ability for us to go from 15,000 to 20,000, it’s not necessarily a good or bad thing on the whole, but I like to look at it more as a positive thing because it does allow us to do more self-initiated activity, which I think at the end of the day keeps everybody safe.”

With the departure of the deputy chief and retirement of an officer, there are now three job openings with the department, all for uniformed officers. With more officers, the number of calls to service could increase, but that’s not a sure bet, Mager said, because it may lead to more officers on marine patrol rather than out on the road.

Longboat Key evaluates effects of new flight path

Residue found on patio furniture may be connected to a new flight path, and the town is hiring an engineering firm to look into it.

eparting flights from SarasotaBradenton International Airport have traveled over Longboat Key since 2006.

But in 2024, the flight path for SRQ departures was altered, meaning planes now cross over Longboat about a mile north of where they once flew. The new flight path has led the town of Longboat Key to look into any potential impacts of the change.

“We have seen some residue on furniture and other things that wasn’t there before, so we’re trying to find out where that’s coming from. One of the thoughts is it could be from the flight path change that was made in the last 18 months or so,” Town Manager Howard Tipton said at a recent community meeting.

“So we want to try to understand if there’s a relationship to that.”

Air quality testing was performed on Jan. 12, said Public Works Director Charlie Mopps, and those results are still being evaluated. The town has also hired a contractor to collect the residue for testing.

“Just last week, we got their signed contract back, so we gave them the notice to proceed,” Mopps said.

“We’re communicating with the property manager at that property in order to go out there and actually do that.”

Town Engineer Jennifer Fehrs said in an email that the company Vertex will be performing the particulate tests at a cost of $28,000.

According to a 2024 letter from SRQ Senior Vice President of Operations and Public Safety Lionel Guilbert, the flight path change was

TURN TO NEW HEADING

The 2024 flight path change for outgoing Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport was slight.

Instead of turning left to a slightly south of due west heading from runway 32, flights began turning to a heading of 270 — or directly west. This slight alteration means flights now travel over Longboat Key about a mile north of where they did before the change. An airliner is typically climbing through about 3,000 feet over the island. According to a 2021 study, about 35 flights traveled over the barrier island each day. SRQ’s traffic has steadily climbed, breaking records in 2025.

made upon instruction from the Federal Aviation Authority. Safety concerns raised by Tampa International Airport air traffic controllers and a change in FAA separation standards were both cited as reasons for the change.

The change was slight, just a fivedegree alteration. An environmental review performed by the FAA satisfied the National Environmental Policy Act requirements.

The residue is one concern of the town. The other is noise.

“One of the challenges when you have the airport is when you fly over somebody and make a change, then you’re flying over somebody else,” Tipton said.

Tipton said the town is hoping to set up a meeting with Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport President and CEO Paul Hoback, who began his tenure at SRQ in October.

“We’d like to get the CEO to come out and talk a little bit about what options there may be, and if you’re interested in that, I think we could make it into a community meeting,” Tipton said. “It’s amazing how many pilots or people who have great knowledge about aircraft live here, so that would only help conversations.”

What does ‘temporary’ mean in temporary certificates of occupancy?

As St. Regis operates without a permanent document after 17 months, town leaders discuss the rules that make this possible.

emporary is a subjective word, but Longboat Key town commissioners got some clarification on what exactly it means when discussing certificates of occupancy.

Town Attorney Maggie Mooney provided commissioners with a memo detailing the town’s rules and regulations for temporary certificates of occupancy, or TCOs, at a workshop meeting. The topic led to discussion among commissioners about potential ways to improve how TCOs are issued in the town.

Mayor Ken Schneier said the commission was hoping to get clarity on the regulations because there have been examples of repeated TCO renewals.

“The issue as it has come up, without mentioning any cases, has been a function of living under what seems to be a perpetual TCO,” Schneier said.

Temporary certificates must be reapplied for every 30 days and are issued by and under the discretion of the building official.

“It’s important to understand that TCOs and their requests are not guaranteed,” Mooney said, elaborating that “if the building official is going to not extend (a TCO), while it is discretionary, I would encourage our building official to have a really good reason why they are not going to do that.”

Town code specifies that buildings can operate with a temporary certificate for a maximum of three years.

“If that property does not obtain it within the three-year timeframe, then that site plan approval is null and void, and technically, they would be out of compliance with their

development,” Mooney said.

TCOs may sound familiar to those who have paid attention to the most consequential Longboat Key development in recent years: the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort. The resort built on the former site of the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort opened in August 2024. Seventeen months later, the resort is still operating under a temporary certificate. In October, Town Manager Howard Tipton said “we have let them know that they need to be winding this down and wrapping this up,” when it comes to how much longer the resort can operate under a temporary certificate.

Commissioner BJ Bishop expressed frustration that those trying to move into single-family homes may not be given TCOs like large commercial projects may receive.

“Those issues on residential are never going to come in front of (the Commission). So the frustration level of our community is ‘I can’t move into my house until every shrub and plant is built, but a commercial project can be missing their hurri-

ADOPT DON’T SHOP

cane protection and whatever else they haven’t done and they’re able to move in with no consequences,’” she said.

Planning and Zoning Director Allen Parsons told town commissioners that there is often a financial incentive for shifting from a TCO to a CO, saying that financing for large projects is often tied to the milestone of being issued a CO, not a TCO.

“The one project that we’re all not mentioning here is atypical (for Longboat Key),” Parsons said, alluding to the elephant in the room.

Commissioner Penny Gold pointed to the elephant, mentioning St. Regis in defense of the resort, saying that dealing with contractors, utilities, vendors, etc., is not easy for single-family home construction, let alone a large multimilliondollar hotel.

“A huge project like the St. Regis, I can’t even imagine how many issues they might have been working on through last year,” Gold said. “In reading through this ordinance, I don’t see that there’s anything major in here that needs to be changed. It

seems like a reasonable standard with a cut-off in three years.”

When St. Regis was mentioned specifically, Mooney said it would be better to talk about the issue in a more general sense.

“I am getting very uncomfortable about the discussion of a property owner and a property that is not in here. This was a high-level discussion, and that was what it was intended to be,” Mooney said. “If you are discussing particular properties, and I know you’re giving a hypothetical in what may or may not happen to a particular property, it is simply not appropriate to do that without them in the room.”

Whether three years is an appropriate amount of time to allow buildings to stay under a TCO may be a moot point, at least for now. Florida Senate Bill 180 prevents local governments affected by 2024 hurricanes from enacting more “restrictive or burdensome” land development regulations or comprehensive plan changes until 2027. No action was taken at the workshop meeting.

COS AND EFFECT

Town Attorney Maggie Mooney explained that the town’s building official is responsible for issuing certificates of occupancy for buildings after they meet state and local codes for building standards.

“That means that the building is safe, that means there’s nothing left to do,” Mooney explained.

“It means you’ve checked the box on state and local regulations.” Temporary certificates of occupancy, however, are different. Mooney described a temporary certificate of occupancy as an offshoot of a certificate of occupancy.

“A TCO is intended to reflect when a building is safe, but there are still some outstanding items that are not completed yet that allows for the temporary occupancy of a building,” she said.

Are food trucks allowed on Longboat Key?

Whether a coffee trailer would pave the way for other mobile businesses to follow concerned Commissioner BJ Bishop.

Should food trucks be allowed to park and remain open for business for days and weeks at a time?

That question was the crux of a conversation between Longboat Key town commissioners at the Jan. 20 workshop meeting. The discussion was prompted by a coffee trailer that had been set up in the outdoor seating area of the former Turtle Café location, which closed in 2024.

“The real issue is, do we want to become a community that has trailers parked instead of brick and mortar? Our commercial real estate owners would probably say, ‘No, we can’t compete with a trailer,’” said Town Commissioner BJ Bishop, adding that food trucks operating during special events, however, play an important role in the community.

Planning and Zoning Director Allen Parsons explained that the coffee trailer in question was operating under a six-month temporary use permit with 90-day renewals possible. He noted that the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the permit were unique and do not set a precedent for the town.

“I would absolutely say it’s a oneoff in that it was considered in the context of hurricane recovery,” Parsons said. “That building had been damaged. We did get a request from the building owners.”

“The real issue is, do we want to become a community that has trailers parked instead of brick and mortar?”

Bishop, Town Commissioner

—BJ

Bishop brought up that the temporary use permit was issued 11 months after Hurricane Helene’s impacts.

The debate about this particular food truck was “a short-term problem, and kind of moot at this point,” said Commissioner Penny Gold, noting that a new coffee shop, Sips, is planning to move into the space as early as February.

Commissioners did not take any action or direct staff to make any changes to how food trucks are regulated in the town, and Bishop was glad to hear the coffee trailer example was not a sign of things to come.

“If this truly is a one-off and Allen doesn’t think we’re going to see somebody show up in front of another empty building with a trailer, I think was just a good learning experience,” Bishop said.

Sarasota Memorial Presents

STATE AND LOCAL REGULATIONS

According to a presentation made to the commission on the subject, food trucks are not allowed to operate on a permanent basis within the town, regardless of the zoning of the parcel. Food trucks or trailers may operate on public properties using a public forum permit or on private property with a temporary use permit.

State law says municipalities are not allowed to prohibit the use of food trucks from operating in the entire jurisdiction of the town or city. The state also pre-empts license, registration and permit requirements for food trucks, with local governments prohibited from requiring separate permits to operate in the town.

“Part of the problem with this is our friends in Tallahassee. They have pre-empted any fees or permits that we as a locality can expect,” Bishop said. “The issue was brought to me because of the

coffee trailer that was put next to the swim store. The people who own the swim store own that whole shopping center, and they chose to put the swim store back in place and chose not to restore the rest of their building, but the other coffee shops on the island did restore their buildings, and you suddenly have a trailer competing with brick and mortar stores that are paying fees and taxes and permits, and yet we’re letting a trailer roll in, which requires none of that.”

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Real cost of public notice

State lawmakers keep saying public notices are a cost issue that needs fixing. They’re missing the point.

Longtime wisdom has it that when things go wrong or sideways inside a business or an organization, more often than not, the root of the misfiring and mistakes can be traced to this: communication. Actually, it can be traced to misinterpretations, miscommunication or simply lack of communication.

“You didn’t tell me to do that.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you needed this?” “I’m sorry, I thought you meant … ” “Why did you hide that from me?”

Or: “You need to be more transparent.”

In Florida government, at all levels, transparency has been a hallmark of good government for 60 years. In 1967, the Legislature enacted Florida’s Government-inthe-Sunshine Law, at that time the nation’s most advanced legislation requiring open meetings and prohibiting public officials from conducting deals in the proverbial back, smoke-filled rooms.

It’s safe to say if you polled most elected county, municipal and school board officials, they likely would tell you they hate Florida’s Sunshine Laws. The laws most definitely inhibit the officials’ ability to negotiate with each other and discuss sensitive ideas in private. But at the same time, they likely also would admit Florida’s Sunshine Laws, government transparency and public notice laws are essential to good government.

Altogether, these laws benefit the state’s citizens and businesses. They are crucial to an informed electorate and a functioning democracy. Sunshine, the saying goes, is a great antiseptic. These laws should be safeguarded and protected vigilantly.

LESS TRANSPARENCY TRENDS

And yet, the trends for transparency over the past two decades have been headed in the opposite direction — in Florida and nationwide. Most especially in one specific area: public notice.

And it’s all because of the internet — and too many lawmakers losing sight of what is more important.

Government transparency is about 360 years old. The London Gazette in 1665 was the first newspaper to begin publishing notices from the king’s court. A century later, in 1789, the Acts of the First Session of the First U.S. Congress required the secretary of state to publish all “bills, orders, resolutions and congressional votes” in at least three publicly available newspapers.

Ever since then, newspapers in the U.S. and U.K. have been the primary and most effective repositories and distributors for governments to serve public notices to their constituents. And it has always been a logical, fair business transaction. Governments paid newspapers for the ink, paper and distribution of vital government information to keep their constituents informed.

But 30 years ago, the internet mushroomed, and over that time — especially in the past decade — readership of print newspapers declined precipitously. These days, when you hear any legislator talk about newspapers, the standard line is “nobody reads print newspapers any more.” (That’s false, by the way.)

That certainly was evident last week during two hearings of the House Civil Justice and Claims

Committee in Tallahassee. The committee overwhelmingly passed two bills that would give all government agencies and storage center owners the ability to publish their public and legal notices on any government or publicly accessible website.

The bill would still include newspapers as an option, but legislation has no regard for standards that lawmakers applied to newspaper public notices for decades.

The arguments for doing this were today’s mantras: 1) No one reads print newspapers. 2) “We’re modernizing,” said Rep. David Smith, R-Seminole. 3) Requiring notices in newspapers (in print or online) is just a subsidy for newspapers. 4) Allowing public notices on government (or any other) websites will be a huge money saver for taxpayers.

‘SEE WHAT’S CHEAPER’

The last argument is always the closer for the lawmakers. Eliminating legal and public notices in print newspapers is going to save taxpayers gazillions of dollars, they claim. Mind you, never, ever in that argument in the 25 years of watching this dance have we seen one lawmaker produce an actual dollar figure showing the proclaimed wonderful savings. But in Florida’s Republican-dominated Legislature, it’s just standard political correctness to sound fiscally conservative without proof.

When Rep. Philip Wayne Griffitts Jr., R-Bay County, sponsor of one of the bills, was asked what would be the criteria for, say, a tax collector to post his or her legal notices on a public website or in a local newspaper and its website, Griffitts responded: “See what’s cheaper.”

Which takes us back to the beginning — communication.

Here is the key question: What is the best and most effective way for state and local governments in Florida to communicate important government actions to Floridians?

You never hear that discussion. Indeed, what are the objectives of public notice? Transparency and communicating effectively to the broadest and relevant constituents.

Granted, this issue is not a lifeor-death. And contrary to what legislators constantly say, nor is it a money issue. Public and legal notices about government actions and budgets, about foreclosure sales and storage center sales are issues that directly affect Floridians’ lives, pocketbooks and property. And those matters deserve the most effective notice, not just the cheapest.

Over the past two decades, our company has argued for a more competitive and market-based approach to public notices. It makes sense to give government agencies, banks, lawyers and storage center owners choices.

But rather than just say let there be a free-for-all and race to the lowest cost, there are compelling arguments for traditions and guardrails that would take effectiveness into account.

Tradition: For nearly two-anda-half centuries, Americans have been accustomed to seeing their governments’ public notices in newspapers. People in tune with government know that is where you will find government notices. At the same time, newspapers have adapted — publishing notices not just in print but also mandated to post them on their websites (for free).

There is a lot of value in that newspaper tradition.

This is crazy.

Zipping through the Florida House of Representatives are three bills, perhaps as many as five, aimed at eliminating or drastically reducing Florida’s ad valorem (property) taxes.

That’s the not crazy part. The crazy part is these bills stand a decent chance of appearing on Florida’s November ballot as constitutional amendments.

Don’t take this the wrong way. We all would love to eliminate our property taxes. But as the cliche goes, the devil is in the details.

With news cycles running in minutes these days, you might remember last winter and spring when Gov. Ron DeSantis called for the elimination of property taxes. He said it’s ridiculous that no one really owns his or her property here; we’re just renting it from the state because of the annual local property tax.

And to emphasize the point, DeSantis noted that Florida’s property taxes have risen 75% since 2019 — from $32 billion to $56 billion, up 10% a year.

After a minor snit between DeSantis and Speaker Danny Perez over Perez saying DeSantis blurted a populist idea but offered no substance on how to do it, Perez charged a special House committee to spend the summer and fall formulating plans to cut property taxes and then come to the 2026 session with proposals to go on the November ballot.

The 36 members of the House Select Committee on Property Taxes did their job.

They analyzed state taxes, property value assessment

Admittedly, print newspaper readership has plummeted. But there still are many communities, particularly in small towns, where the local weekly print edition is a lifeblood of community information. And in those communities, public notice advertising is one of the sources of income that helps sustain those papers.

If shifted completely to government or obscure websites, you easily can end up with what is spreading nationwide: Local news deserts. No one watchdogging local government. In those towns, crime goes up. Voter apathy rises; voter engagement declines. The smalltown economy suffers.

Our company is an anomaly. Our print readership remains near historic highs. Indeed, we’re planning to expand one of our print editions 50% in 2026.

Likewise, the readership of our newspapers’ websites continues to grow. In 2025, our seven papers around Florida had weekly online audiences of 205,000 readers.

Indeed, if you made a chart of the number of readers who go to the websites of their local newspapers, you would find newspaper websites to be the top or one of the top sources for disseminating local news.

Many newspapers are still pillars in their communities, but in a different, “modernized” way.

Now consider what lawmakers are advocating — that important public and legal notices be allowed on any government agency or any publicly accessible website designated by an agency. No big deal? There are more than 2,500 government agencies in Florida. Imagine if

methodology, agricultural exemptions, budget forecasting, revenue collection, fire districts, special districts, debt financing, municipal utility rates, fiscally constrained counties, ratio of ad valorem versus other revenue, ratio of homestead versus non homestead, Save Our Home exemptions, millage rates, school taxes and public safety budgets.

After all that, Chair Toby Oberdorf concluded: “Local government property tax is increasing at an unsustainable rate. … It is time to put money back in the hands of Floridians.”

Sounds great. But there is a big “but.” It’s the unseen. While Florida voters may eagerly vote to eliminate or drastically cut their property taxes, no one knows or can predict the unintended consequences. And there will be big consequences.

How will Florida’s 411 municipalities, 67 counties and myriad water districts and special districts make up that lost revenue? Two choices: either cut services or raise other taxes and fees. These bills still need threefifths approval in the House and Senate. But as they move forward, perhaps wise lawmakers might realize it would be crazy to give Florida taxpayers a choice to cut their taxes without also explaining in ample time and explicitly, the likely consequences.

A constitutional amendment such as this, if adopted, would be the most consequential change to Florida’s tax structure since the state enacted a sales tax in 1949. It affects $56 billion. This issue should not be rushed. — MW

they all posted their public notices on their sites.

Hardly anyone would see them — ever. No one wakes up in the morning and fires up his phone or laptop to search, say, the West Coast Inland Navigation District’s website for its public notices. Even now, with agencies allowed to publish on their county’s website, readership is minimal.

Here’s the point: With the proliferation of websites (177,000 websites created per day worldwide), dispersing public and legal notices to myriad obscure, little-known, hard-to-find government websites is not improving or broadening transparency. It will make government less transparent.

There is a counter to this lesstransparency movement.

Self-serving as this may sound, the Florida Press Association more than a dozen years ago created FloridaPublicNotices.com. It is the largest public notice website and database in the state and has the largest audience. It’s easy to find; free to access; and the press association is investing to make it even more user friendly and effective.

The press association is “modernizing” — not just to be the cheapest, but to maintain and improve transparency.

Every year for more than 25 years, legislators in Florida and around the country repeat the false mantra that newspapers are dead. So they want government to control public notices (like the fox running the henhouse).

But in their efforts to modernize and save taxpayers’ money, they of-ten overlook that public notice — broad-based and effectively targeted — serves as a vital ingredient to our democracy.

This is not a life-and-death issue, but it’s one that could benefit from a more thoughtful approach and discussion than what is proposed now. In this age of AI, the digital world and an upended media landscape, this issue deserves a worthy, in-depth discussion, a discussion that looks ahead and answers: What is and will be the most effective way for state and local governments to notify their citizenry in the AI age?

Public notice is transparency. Less transparency inevitably leads to distrust and trouble. In my world, this year’s public notice bills would be tabled.

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

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Commissioner remembered for calm in the storm

Whether it was solving a town finance issue or navigating a malfunctioning boat engine, former town Commissioner Randy Clair always knew just what to do.

Randy Clair knew his way around the water.

“Sailing was really the thing he enjoyed the most in life,” said his wife, Jean Clair.

Vacations with the kids growing up were spent on Lake Michigan, each of his three daughters with different responsibilities to keep the boat’s sails positioned correctly.

“Every vacation, we sailed. We didn’t go anywhere else but on the boat,” said his daughter, Kathy ClairHayes.

He picked up boating early in life, learning to sail at the age of 14.

When he retired three decades ago, he chose a canal-bordering Country Club Shores house as his retirement home. He didn’t have Longboat Key marked on his map ahead of time, though. He and Jean took a trip to the Gulf Coast in search of a suitable nest, making stops from Tampa to Naples. A good meal may have sealed the deal.

“He bought the house because of Dry Dock,” said Clair’s daughter, Margaret Clair-Noxon. Randy and Jean could be seen at the restaurant almost every Friday night, Randy usually opting for the salmon. Clair, a former Longboat Key town commissioner, died Jan. 17. He was 86.

Randy and Jean were married for 61 years, meeting at a hospital in Illinois, where he was a patient and Jean was a nurse.

“I was in charge of the floor, and his sister was going to nursing school at the same time. She asked me, ‘Are you going with anybody?’ and then he called me,” Jean said.

Clair ran for Town Commission for the first time in 2005. Policy-wise, he’s likely best remembered for his insistence on reforming an unbalanced pension system as the town

faced $20 million in unfunded pension liabilities. A Longboat Observer article from 2020 said that his efforts “helped keep the town from financial ruin.”

A push that was not so popular with those set to receive the pensions, he tallied his reelection defeat in 2009 to the initiative.

Years later, when a commissioner’s move out of town left a vacant seat on the dais, Clair was the only one to apply to fill the volunteer position. He served on the commission on an interim basis from 2017 to 2018 and then was elected to represent District 1 from 2018 to 2020 in an unopposed election.

“He was always ready to help someone,” Jean said. “That’s why he went for commissioner. He wanted to help Longboat Key.”

Susan Phillips, former assistant town manager for 27 years, worked with Clair during both his terms as commissioner. She described him as a brilliant, community-minded Longboater who wasn’t the type of commissioner to chime in on every topic, but he would add valuable perspectives when he was knowledgeable on a subject.

His community involvement wasn’t only as a commissioner. He was a member of St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church and served on the church’s finance committee. He volunteered with the Country Club Shores homeowners association and served on Longboat’s Revitalization Task Force. He was also part of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan’s advisory panel on cadet appointments to the U.S. service academies.

Randy and Jean also turned out for various community events.

“They supported anything going on with the chamber or the Garden Club,” Phillips said.

Clair picked up golf when he moved to Longboat Key, and hit the fairways once a week. He scored a hole-in-

one during one Sarasota outing.

“They couldn’t find the ball,” Jean said. “They didn’t see it go in the hole.”

Professionally, Clair was an attorney who represented the oil company Amoco for almost three decades. His cases centered around maritime law and issues, merging his passion for boating and his career. Perhaps the most consequential cases in his career came from representing Amoco after a 1978 oil spill, spending more than a decade on lawsuits and counter lawsuits stemming from the 216,000-ton spill.

His work took him across the globe, traveling to Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East. He always returned with dolls for each of his three daughters.

Clair was the kind of guy to help his neighbors, showing he cared by his actions more often than his words. After a neighbor lost his eyesight,

Randy stepped up to help how he could, stopping by once a week to read his mail to him.

“He was that kind of guy,” ClairHayes said. And Clair-Noxon said her dad was handy, fixing things around the house any opportunity he had.

Always there to help family and friends, Randy was a problem-solver.

“I had to take communications law in college. I think I came home every other weekend for him to translate,” Clair-Noxon said. “He walked me through how to take a garbage disposal apart over the phone. We could just about call him for anything.”

Clair’s funeral Mass will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31 at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, 4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

NEVER SEA SICK

On the water was Randy Clair’s happy place.

“When he was on the water, he was just so calm and grounded,” said his daughter, Kathy Clair-Hayes. “It was really peaceful for him.” Peaceful, calm and composed. Three adjectives to describe him while on the water, regardless of the situation.

“The last time I was on the boat with him we went down the canal, and at the end of the canal, there started to be all these buzzers going off and alarms. I said, ‘Dad, what’s going on?’ And he said, ‘Oh, the engine’s going to catch fire, so we’re just going to turn it off,’” Clair-Hayes remembers. “He calmly turned off the engine and got a boat hook out and we just kind of coasted back to the lift. He was kind of unflappable in crisis.” Clair graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. On one instance during rough seas, Clair’s dry sense of humor came to shore. All but two were feeling the waves. Clair and a fellow midshipman, though, weren’t sea sick.

“He and his friend had iron stomachs,” Clair-Hayes said. “So the two went to the kitchen and made onion and peanut butter sandwiches to mess with the other sailors.”

The attractions of Amara, diverse and extraordinary, know no equal. This begins with its Golden Gate address — for the Point is one of those rarest of natural wonders — an enclave that looks across the bay and back to the city — once-in-a-lifetime views that are yours every day.

Town of Longboat Key ATTENTION

The Town of Longboat Key is accepting applications for appointment to the following boards and committee: Consolidated Retirement System Board of Trustees Planning and Zoning Board Metropolitan Planning Organization Citizen Advisory Committee

All applications must be submitted to the Office of the Town Clerk by 12:00 p.m. on February 20, 2026. All applicants must be registered voters of the Town of Longboat Key. Late applications will be held for one year for any future board or committee vacancies that may arise.

All members of the Consolidated Retirement System Board of Trustees and the Planning and Zoning Board are required to file a financial disclosure form within 30 days after appointment and annually thereafter for the duration of the appointment as required by Florida Statutes Chapter 112. The Town Commission may schedule a Meet and Greet with applicants at a later date. Please call the Office of the Town Clerk at 941-316-1999 to request an application or for any questions. Completed applications may be submitted to:

Town of Longboat Key – Office of the Town Clerk 501 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, FL 34228 tshinkle@longboatkey.org

Stephanie Garcia, Deputy Town Clerk II Published: 01-28-2026, 02-11-2026

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SUNDAY, JAN. 18 RUN AGROUND

11:45 a.m., Lyons Lane Marine rescue: Police responded to Sarasota Bay after a report of a grounded sailboat with one boater on board. When police arrived, the officer coordinated with fire-rescue on scene to find the boat, which was between Longboat Key and Sister Keys. With wind gusts up to 35 mph at the time, it was determined that a rescue vessel was unable to reach the sailboat due to increased wave height close to shore. Communicating with the grounded boater from land, police coordinated with the man to use his kayak. The 74-yearold man paddled through the rough waters, up a canal, where police and medics awaited. After he was medically cleared by EMS, he told police he had anchored his boat nearby at a local restaurant when weather conditions worsened, loosening the anchor. Plans were made to remove the vessel when weather calmed.

DISASSEMBLED, NOT STOLEN

5:51 p.m., Golf Links Lane

THURSDAY, JAN. 22

I HAVE A PERMIT FOR THIS TRACTOR

6:52 a.m., 4000 block Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious vehicle: A concerned resident called police when they saw a tractor going back and forth over the beach early in the morning. When police arrived to investigate, they made contact with a woman driving a tractor with a rake attached. The tractor operator showed police a valid FDEP permit for mechanical beach raking.

Citizen assist: A man returned to his property on Longboat Key for the first time in years and was dismayed to see, or not see, the state of a boat lift on the property. He told police he lived at another property and had not seen the boat lift since 2023 and believed someone stole it. Police surveyed the empty lot, noticing the dock in a poor state, presumably due to hurricane damage. The officer then saw what he believed were the disassembled components of the lift nearby. The man said the neighborhood had paid a company to clean the canals after the hurricanes, and that they may have disassembled the boat lift in the process. Police changed the case description from theft to citizen assist and determined no crime was committed.

IS ENJOYING THE WEATHER A CRIME NOW?

6:47 p.m., Longboat Club Road Open Door: Police were called to a gated community to check on a worrying scene: a front door left open. When the officer arrived, he was greeted by a small dog and then the homeowner. The resident intro-

duced himself to police and said he had his door open to enjoy the nice, cool weather Longboat Key was experiencing that Sunday evening. Nothing suspicious was found.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 21

WATCH WHERE YOU PARK AROUND HERE

1:44 p.m., 3000 block Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious vehicle: Police were called by a woman who said two men parked in her driveway. She described the vehicle and supplied a license number. When police arrived, the two men were nearby and told police they were contractors working next door and had parked in the wrong place before realizing their mistake and moving. Police spoke to the caller who was satisfied with the explanation.

Serving those who served

Goodwill Manasota Veterans Services reps speak to Rotarians about the help they provide.

Gene Luca, a veteran and member of the Rotary Club of Longboat Key, said in a recent club meeting he was amazed to learn the extent of what Goodwill Manasota Veterans Services does to help community members find jobs after they return home from serving.

“When you come out of combat, you’re a very different person,” he said before commending staff for working to meet people where they are able to find a path forward.

Goodwill staff shared insights into the variety of ways they reach community members during the Jan. 20 Rotary meeting at All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church.

Luca welcomed the evening’s guest speakers, GMVS Vice President of Mission Services Margie Genter and Career Development Facilitator Randy Wright.

“They really do something very

significant,” Luca said of GMVS.

“They work with veterans to help them and their families — and families of active servicemen and servicewomen — find meaningful employment.”

Wright and Genter explained how the organization works to provide veterans with essential services like job training and placement. However, it also does much more to help community members feel heard and supported.

“We employ 1,500 people, some on the west coast of Florida and some on the east,” Genter said. “But what’s true for both sides is that 70% of the people we employ have a barrier to self-sufficiency.”

Common barriers include PTSD or other mental-health challenges, financial constraints, previous incarceration or substance abuse disorders, as Genter detailed.

“We are very proudly a secondchance employer,” she said.

Genter said she is also proud of the Supported Jobs Plus program, which helps individuals with significant physical, psychiatric or intellectual disabilities build work skills through Goodwill.

Those employed through Goodwill’s programs can also get support with life coaching, learning comput-

er skills, earning a GED or otherwise, doing what they need to find a career they are passionate about pursuing.

She and Wright encouraged veterans to check out the Lutz Buddy Up Manasota meetings for a chance to socialize with people who have shared similar experiences. The group welcomes military and first responders to swap stories over a meal.

SUPPORTING FUTURE

PROGRAMMING

During the Nov. 8 celebration of Veterans Day and the town of Longboat Key’s 70th anniversary, Rotarians presented GMVS with a $7,500 check to support outreach services.

At the Jan. 20 Rotary meeting, members followed it up with an additional $5,600 contribution.

“We hope this will be helpful to you,” Luca said while presenting the check.

For more about the variety of veterans services offered, visit ExperienceGoodwill.org/VeteransServices or call 941-355-2721.

Rotary President Terri Driver noted that the club’s next regular meeting has been shifted to 4 p.m. Feb. 5 to accommodate guest speaker Ben Jameson to talk about the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. For more, visit LongboatKeyRotary.org.

Randall T. Clair (Randy) aged 86, of Longboat Key, Florida, formerly of Lake Bluff, Illinois, passed away on January 17, 2026. He was born on August 12, 1939, in Chicago, Illinois, to Edward Jerome Clair and Katherine Lucey Clair, both of whom preceded him in death.

Randy graduated with honors from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1961 and went on to earn his law degree from Northwestern University in 1964. He spent the majority of his professional life as an attorney with Amoco in the International Law Department, where he specialized in maritime law. His work took him to many parts of the world, including Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Canada. Randy retired from Amoco in 1996, after which he and his wife settled in Longboat Key, a place he came to love deeply.

Randy had a lifelong love of the water and especially enjoyed boating and sailing. After retirement, he took up golf and cherished the friendships that came with it. Giving back to his community was central to who Randy was. He served as Secretary of the Country Club Shores Unit 4 Homeowners Association from

Randall T. Clair 1939-2026 458210-1

2009 to 2015, as Commissioner-at-Large for the Town of Longboat Key from 2005 to 2009, and later as Commissioner for District 1 from 2017 to 2020. He also served on the Finance Committee at St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church from 2013 to 2020. Randy took great pride in his service on Congressman Vern Buchanan’s Advisory Panel on cadet appointments to the U.S. Service Academies, a role he held for many years.

Above all else, Randy was devoted to his family. He is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Jean Worth Clair; his children, Kathy ClairHayes (Chris) of Boston, Massachusetts, Margaret Noxon (Michael) of Roswell, Georgia, and Pamela Clair of Sarasota, Florida; and his treasured grandchildren, Declan and Maggie Hayes and Max and Jack Noxon. He is also survived by his sister, Linda Clair Schweiker of Arvada, Colorado, and his niece and nephew, Sheri Donnelly (John) and Brett Schweiker (Rebecca).

SERVICE: A Celebration of Life will be held at St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Mary, Star of the Sea church or the Tidewell Foundation. The Clair family is deeply grateful to the nurses and aides who provided compassionate care to Randy during his time in hospice.

Meet the people behind Brista Commons

Homeowners rejoice at the opening of new one-stop shop. COUCH LBK

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

The business owners of a new suite of shops in Brista Commons share the vision of a one-stop shop for homeowners on Longboat Key, from finding the perfect house to furnishing it with flooring, windows and furniture to suit their individual tastes.

Now, they are all open for business.

Couch LBK, Brista Realty, Brista Homes and Brista Realty along with Your Flooring Warehouse celebrated with a ribbon-cutting on Jan. 20, hosted by the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce.

ClearView Windows and Doors Inc., located in the same plaza, hosted its own grand opening that day.

Community members strolled among the new businesses that afternoon, exploring the offerings from the newly opened shops.

Coupled with the recent opening of the neighboring Goodwill Manasota bookstore and donation dropoff site, the neighborhood has been infused with new energy, visitors commented as they checked out the showrooms of the new commercial complex.

Attendees began with the ribboncutting celebration at Couch LBK, and after milling about the living room and bedroom sets, walked next door to Brista Homes and Brista Realty. Husband-and-wife duo Mark and Gina Ursini share the office space at 3120 Gulf of Mexico Drive. As the complex owners, they played a pivotal role in realizing that one-stop shop vision.

The group of celebrants then moved to the other end of the complex to cheer on the team at Your Flooring Warehouse as owner Peter Beale took his turn with the oversized scissors.

“One thing the Longboat Key customer doesn’t want to do is leave the island,” Beale said. “Now, we can cater to them.”

Though it wasn’t part of the chamber-hosted triple-header ribbon-cuttings, ClearView Windows & Doors also celebrated its grand opening that afternoon next to the flooring warehouse.

Anyone walking through the doors of any of the Brista Commons stores will have seen examples of ClearView’s work.

“We invite everyone to come out and see us,” President John Harding III said. “We’re proud to be locally owned and operated.”

Address: 3130 Gulf of Mexico

Drive

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday Phone number: 941-326-1448 (Ken); 941-299-1449 (Noel); 941-373-9644 (showroom)

Website: CouchLBK.com

The new furniture store brings its bright, seaside-inspired aesthetic to the key. Ken Rushing is a founder and designer, and Noel Ladd is a founder and administrator.

The store may be called Couch LBK, but the inventory expands well beyond couches. The floor features selections of wall decorations, bedroom sets, fabric swatches and more. With plenty of cream, sandy and blue tones, the decor fits with many of the design trends

Address: 3150 Gulf of Mexico

Drive

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or by appointment

Phone number: 941-746-9848

consignment services.

YOUR FLOORING WAREHOUSE

Address: 3140 Gulf of Mexico

Drive

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by appointment

Phone number: 941-315-2988

Website: YourFlooringWarehouse.com

Your Flooring Warehouse owner

Peter Beale said he is thrilled with how the Brista Commons space turned out. Offering tile, hardwood, laminate and other options, the shop caters to those who live on the Key full time or travel throughout the year.

Beale said, as a locally focused family business, the shop can offer practical advice for initial designs or renovations.

He said his staff doesn’t work on commission and offers advice based on island lifestyles.

“We have a good understand-

ing of the Longboat Key market, and we know that, especially for people who have their second or third home here, they want something practical and high-performing,” he said. “Or, customers often think of it as their final home, and they want to swing for the fences, and we cater to that, as well.”

J.D. Manning started the original business in 1988, and now Beale runs it with Brian Manning and fellow family members.

Their experience helps them guide residents to find their perfect flooring, whether they want something that has a bold design, is easy to clean off beach sand or needs to hold up to rambunctious grandchildren.

Beale said the space will be a boon the contractor community in another way, as well. Partner businesses will have after-hours access to the shop to host clients and cocktail events.

WORSHIP directory

Website: ClearViewWindowsFlorida.com ClearView Windows & Doors

President John Harding III said it took about nine months from having the idea to open a Longboat Key showroom to celebrating the opening day.

“It feels real, finally,” he said as he looked around the display floor on opening day. “A lot of

BRISTA HOMES & BRISTA REALTY

Address: 3120 Gulf of Mexico

Drive

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily or by appointment

Phone number: 941-373-0500 (Brista Homes); 941-812-4894 (Brista Realty) Website: BristaHomes.com (Brista Homes); BristaRealty. com (Brista Realty)

The two-pronged business provides services for Longboaters seeking custom homes, luxury remodels and real estate services. Broker Gina Ursini owns Brista Realty, and owner

Mark Ursini runs Brista Homes. Together, they are hoping to meet the needs of any homeowner, or soon-to-be owner, in the area.

Mark brings 25 years of experience serving markets in Sarasota, Longboat Key and neighboring barrier islands. Gina describes her arm of the business as a “boutique brokerage,” focusing on luxury waterfront properties on the island. She launched Brista Realty in 2021. Inspired by home renova-

hard work went into this.”

The business is a showroom for the original Bradentonbased store, and it showcases a selection of its offerings, from aluminum-framed, hurricaneresistant windows to 10-foot-tall sliding glass doors and more. Harding said installing good-quality windows is an investment that pays off, saving homeowners on air conditioning costs and UV damage to furniture.

“The main thing is that it gives you peace of mind,” he added.

tors and HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines, the couple plans to collaborate with its neighboring businesses to be that one-stop shop for homeowners. Rather than spending days or weeks driving around to various downtown Sarasota stores, residents should be able to find exactly what they need right on the Key, Gina said. “Before, you had to go off the island for everything,” she said. “It’s nice to have everything right here.”

Joys of jockey

Longboat Key resident

Sarah Frederick shares stories of her career in horse racing.

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

This spring, spectators will don their finest derby hats and tune in to the fast-paced horse races that quicken the hearts of even passive viewers. Each beat of the hooves could make the difference in a photo-finish win. But few know the ins and outs of the sport, as well as Longboat Key resident Sarah Frederick, who spent 55 years riding, training and racing horses. “It’s all I ever wanted to do,” she said.

Frederick, 62, who now enjoys the island’s leisurely pace at her beachfront home with her dog, Lizzie, shared what it was like making a place for herself on the track as part of an early wave of women entering the sport professionally.

It wasn’t always an easy path, especially considering at 5-foot-7, she is considered tall for a jockey. But she discovered a love of horses early.

“When I was very small, younger than 5 years old, I saw horse racing on TV,” she said. “I told my parents that I wanted to be a jockey.”

Frederick was born in Munich, Germany. Her father served in the U.S. Army, so the family traveled extensively before landing in Virginia. But one thing that stayed con-

sistent was that equine connection.

“When he was stationed in Texas, I was 5 years old, and I started taking riding lessons,” she said. “I continued them as we moved around, including when we were in England for two years.”

Frederick competed in her first professional race in 1984 in her 20s in Charleston, West Virginia. It was then that the pieces really clicked, and she knew jockeying was what she was destined to do.

“Watching it on TV is, of course, exciting,” she added. “But actually doing it is 10 times better.”

She said that initial race was “an overload of nerves, excitement and not wanting to make a mistake,” especially when working with such strong animals pushing their physical limits.

Her parents had some trepidation about the dangers of jockeying. However, she said they knew there was no talking her out of it.

Rather than try to dissuade her upon seeing her drive, they supported her. She got her first pony at 7 years old.

Jockeying was a focus of hers, but she also participated in showing horses, steeplechase, fox hunting and training horses.

Racing thoroughbreds was always a thrill, she said. The breed is particularly known for agility, stamina,

A WINNING DAY

One of her more memorable competitions was with the Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association in 1994, where she won two races in a day. She worked with the same trainer and owner that day, but with two different horses.

Often, jockeys may be paired with a horse unfamiliar to them. But with guidance from the team and their training to handle any situation, they find a way to make it work. Horse and jockey need to work tightly in tandem, with the rider timing the horse’s strides to help push them along with each step.

“I learned so much more from being paired with random horses all the time,” she said. “I think that’s what really made me an all-around type of jockey who could ride almost anything.”

By that point in her journey, Frederick didn’t need a coach. But she acknowledged a rider can learn from anybody.

speed and running hot-blooded.

After moving to Virginia, the family started breeding thoroughbreds.

“They were born on our farm, and we raised and trained them,” she said. “Then, we took them to the race track.”

Frederick competed with the horses they raised, but she also jockeyed and trained for other people.

Her will to win was what carried her forward into making a full career of jockeying, she said.

“I lost plenty too, but the feeling of winning a race like that is truly indescribable,” she said. “Even in a smaller, nondescript race, it was still just the best feeling I could ever try to describe.”

Frederick estimates she ran in about 500 races in West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania over the course of her career.

Along her career path, she formed friendships with other jockeys, especially those who were also finding their way in the sport that still mainly included male athletes. One dear friend was Diane Crump, who made history in 1970 as the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby. She died earlier this month.

“It was because of her that I got to ride, and all my other female jockey friends,” she credited. “Back then, they didn’t think a woman could do it. She proved them wrong, against

“I always said, be all eyes and ears, because you can learn the most that way,” she said.

all odds.”

Frederick said she feels fortunate to have made a career from what she loved to do. Leaving that lifestyle wasn’t an easy decision, but she retired to raise her four sons and recover from such a physically demanding sport. She said she hasn’t ridden a horse since.

“I’m never going to get back on another one,” she said. “I truly miss it. But if I try to get on just for fun again, I know I would be like, ‘I have to do this again.’ ”

She recently embarked on a new adventure. She and her husband, Rod Rogahn, got married two years ago. He has a background in high-octane sports as well as a professional water skier when he wasn’t busy working as lawyer. He has been a longtime visitor to Longboat Key, and the two decided to buy here.

When not spending part of the year in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin — where they got married in their back yard — they enjoy spending time paddleboarding and visiting the dog park.

“I really love the Longboat community,” she said.

Long live ‘King of Calypso’

Singer, actor and activist Harry Belafonte is universally known as the “King of Calypso” who introduced many to the musical genre with his hit song “Day-O” and others. But he was far from limited to a specific sound, as one performer with the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe recently demonstrated with a tribute show.

Michael Mejia-Mendez, who has been with the group for 16 seasons, took center stage at Christ Church of Longboat Key the evening of Jan. 21 for a special performance.

He took listeners through the life of Belafonte, immediately jumping into the drum-backed, high-energy “Lead Man Holler.”

Mejia-Mendez considers Belafonte to be “one of our finest Caribbean-American pop stars in history.”

“His fascination with folk music took him internationally,” he explained before singing some of Belafonte’s music that was inspired by his time in Mexico and Haiti. Belafonte’s talents even extended to rhythm and blues.

Mejia-Mendez said, given his Dominican heritage, he especially appreciates being able to celebrate the singer’s legacy with this show.

“A lot of the songs I’m singing right now are pretty relative to my experience,” he said. “The lyrics paint pictures in my head of things like I felt them yesterday.”

Belafonte was born in 1927 in New York City to his father, who emigrated from Martinique, and his mother, who emigrated from Jamaica. He went on to become a lauded folk singer who celebrated

the pan-Caribbean music of the 1950s. In addition to performing on Broadway — earning a Tony Award in the process — he appeared on the big screen in multiple hit films.

Audience members gleefully joined in with the choruses they knew, singing, “Oh, island in the sun, willed to me by my father’s hand, all my days I will sing in praise of your forest, your waters, your shining sun.”

Mejia-Mendez originally starred in a limited-engagement, sold-out show paying tribute to Belafonte.

WBTT resident sound designer Patrick Russini helped facilitate the show that evening.

The church has made it an annual tradition to invite members of WBTT to Longboat Key for a performance. Last year, members enjoyed the musical stylings of Delores McKenzie for her “Belles of Broadway” show. For more about the troupe’s upcoming shows, visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.

— DANA KAMPA

“A lot of the songs I’m singing right now are pretty relative to my experience.”

— Michael Mejia-Mendez

Annual art sale promises unique finds

The sixth annual New to You sale at All Angels begins Feb. 2.

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

One of the best times of the year for Longboat Key’s art enthusiasts is fast approaching. All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church is making the final preparations for its annual New to You art sale.

The showcase of donated artworks, including paintings, prints, sculptures, jewelry and more always includes unique pieces. But organizer Linn Torres, All Angels by the Sea administrative assistant and art sale coordinator, said there are some particularly interesting one-of-akind pieces available.

This is her sixth time coordinating the sale, 100% of the proceeds of which go toward supporting local nonprofit work. This year, the sale, which runs Feb. 2 through Feb. 26, benefits Turning Points of Bradenton, a group that aids families facing homelessness.

Last year, the sale raised more than $10,000 for Turning Points, and with community members’ need for support growing, she hopes this will be the biggest sale yet.

Torres said visitors may be especially excited to learn there are several pieces by painters Cat Tesla, who is best known for her abstract, dreamy depictions of nature scenes, and Ilkin Deniz, who often features detailed rowboats on placid waters.

She notes that about 250 pieces are ready to go on display, and curious shoppers should check regularly throughout the month to see what’s new.

“Every day during the sale, I get more donations,” she said. Other interesting finds include small jade carvings, ornately

IF

YOU GO NEW TO YOU ART SALE

When: Feb. 2-26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and noon to 3 p.m. on Sundays. There are special extended hours one weekend, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 21 and noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 22

Where: All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church, 563 Bay Isles Road Info: Call 941-383-8161.

designed fireplace covers, palm treeshaped candlestick holders, and more. The sale is all about helping people find the art pieces that speak to them, Torres said.

Even with an impressive catalog of pieces ready to go on sale, Torres is always looking for new pieces to ensure coordinators can keep refreshing the selection. Anyone with pieces to donate can stop by the church during office hours from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays or contact staff to coordinate by calling 941-383-8161 or emailing Office@AllAngelsLBK.org.

YOUR CALENDAR

THURSDAY, JAN. 29

HERB METHODOLOGY LAUNCH

10 a.m. at the Design 2000 Salon, 6840 Gulf of Mexico Drive. The hair salon is hosting an event to introduce a new partnership with Herb Methodology, offering small-batch natural balms and sprays. Visit Design2000LongboatKeyFL.com.

NEW MEMBERS LUNCHEON

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church, 4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Meet in Father Pick Hall.

THURSDAY, JAN. 29

TO SATURDAY, JAN. 31

GARDEN CLUB ANNUAL

TRUNK SALE

9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at J. McLaughlin — Longboat Key, 515 Bay Isles Parkway, Unit 6. A portion of all sales go toward supporting the garden club. Call 941-960-2071 or email STFLLongboatKey@JMclaughlin.com.

SATURDAY, JAN. 31

HEALTH KIT PACKING

VOLUNTEER DAY

9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, 40 N. Adams Drive. Spend an afternoon volunteering to help pack Lutheran World Relief health kits. Visit SAKLC. com.

SUNDAY, FEB. 1

THEATRE TROUPE SHOWCASES

MOTOWN

7:30-8:30 p.m. at The Education Center, 567 Bay Isles Road. $50 for members; $60 for others. Required registration at TBIEducationCenter. org, 941-383-8222 or Admin@TBIEducationCenter.org.

MONDAY, FEB. 2

Lori Sax

Stacey Lipton’s captivating watercolor paintings capture the beauty and essence of nature.

BEST BET

THURSDAY, FEB. 5

GET ARTSY

1-3 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. This new fourweek series of art classes invites community members to learn new artistic skills with watercolors. The intermediate class takes place Feb. 5, 12, 19 and 26. $120 per person. RSVP required. Participants must be able to use stairs. Call 941-383-6493 or visit TheParadiseCenter.org.

567 Bay Isles Road. A four-session film festival. $90 for members and $100 for others. Register at TBIEducationCenter.org, 941-383-8222 or Admin@TBIEducationCenter.org.

RECURRING EVENTS

MONDAYS THROUGH FRIDAYS LONGBOAT LIBRARY

10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 555 Bay Isles Road. Call 941-383-2011.

TUESDAYS ROTARY CLUB

NEW TO YOU ART SALE LAUNCHES

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at All Angels by the Sea, 563 Bay Isles Road. Check out the season’s selection of curated donated art pieces. Through Feb. 26. Proceeds go to Turning Points of Bradenton. Call 941-383-8161.

THURSDAY, FEB. 5

THE POWER OF FOOD

1:30-3 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Chef and health expert Kimberly Knox leads a class on cooking. $25 per person. Call 941-383-6493 or visit TheParadiseCenter.org.

SATURDAY, JAN. 31

ZUMBA AT ST. ARMANDS CIRCLE

9-10 a.m. on St. Armands Circle, 440 St. Armands Circle. Yael Campbell is bringing back this community exercise class. Open to all. Wear comfortable shoes, a water bottle and a hand towel. $10 donation recommended. Visit Zumba.com.

TUESDAY, FEB. 3

LEARN ABOUT INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

3-4:30 p.m. at The Education Center, 567 Bay Isles Road. The latest installment of The Education Center’s lecture series features Mark Rochester, executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Registration required. $25 for members; $30 for others; $240 for members and $300 for others for the full lecture series. Register at TBIEducationCenter.org, 941-383-8222 or Admin@ TBIEducationCenter.org.

THURSDAY, FEB. 5

JEWISH/ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL 2-5 p.m. at The Education Center,

5 p.m. at All Angels Episcopal Church, 563 Bay Isles Road. First and third Tuesdays of the month. Visit LongboatKeyRotary.org or contact Terri Driver at TDriver1@ comcast.net or 703-517-8925.

WEDNESDAYS COMMUNITY BINGO

2-4 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Cards are $1 each and $2 for the final round. Call 941-383-6493 or visit TheParadiseCenter.org.

THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS

BRIDGE CLUB

1 p.m. at the Bayfront Park Recreation Center, 4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Reservations required. Contact Patty Mayer at 262-215-2566 or PattySarasota33@gmail.com.

FRIDAYS SOCIAL HOUR AT PARADISE

4-5 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Call 941383-6493 or visit TheParadiseCenter.org.

WALKING CLUB

9-10 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Led by certified Nordic walking instructor Enrico Sam DiGiammarino Jr. To RSVP, email Amy@TheParadiseCenter.org or call 941-383-6493.

SATURDAYS RUN CLUB

7 a.m. at Sips coffee shop, 6830 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Join this newly formed community running club for a morning jog at your own pace. The group is free and open to the public, and registration is not required.

Aria condominium tops week’s sales at $7.65 million

ADAM HUGHES

RESEARCH EDITOR

Thomas Grusecki, Christina Grusecki and John Spina, trustees, of Park Ridge, Illinois, sold the Unit 204 condominium at 2251 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Elizabeth Dallman and Samir Patel, of Cincinnati, for $7.65 million. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 4,032 square feet of living area. It sold for $5.6 million in 2021.

VIZCAYA AT LONGBOAT KEY

Harvey Sheldon and Laura Traeger, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 1A2 condominium at 2333 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Judith Glaser, Walter Glaser Jr. and Lauren Glaser Dayya, trustees, of Briarcliff Manor, New York, for $4.3 million. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths and 3,060 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.2 million in 2016.

SLEEPY LAGOON PARK PAVO88 LLC sold the home at 598 Lyons Lane to Thomas and Robyn Choate, trustees, of Longboat Key, for $2,700,400. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,276 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.2 million in 2024.

VILLA DI LANCIA

Thomas and Carolyn Tucci, of

Naples, sold their Unit 114 condominium at 2165 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Timothy Lee Mathile and Lynn Ann Dowd, of Cincinnati, for $2 million. Built in 1996, it has two bedrooms, three baths and 2,448 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,375,000 in 2012.

REVISED LONGBEACH

Staciann Nieding and Kenneth William Nieding, of Longboat Key, sold their home at 580 Russell St. to Purchasing Fund 2024-1 LLC for $1 million. Built in 1954, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 2,716 square feet of living area. It sold for $235,000 in 1997.

SEAPLACE Christopher Theriault, of Sarasota, sold his Unit G5-400A condominium at 1965 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Timothy Hall, of Longboat Key,

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

for $850,000. Built in 1977, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,257 square feet of living area. It sold for $800,000 in 2023.

LONGBEACH

Lucia and Jon Archiable, of Andover, Massachusetts, sold their Unit 22 condominium at 7155 Gulf of Mexico Drive to David and Janelle Harvey, of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, for $760,000. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,170 square feet of living area. It sold for $560,000 in 2021.

WINDWARD BAY

Anthony Lee Wey and Lora Ann Wey, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 305 condominium at 4500 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Phillip Cianciolo and Lisa Marie Flinchbaugh, of Cincinnati, for $650,000.

Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,096 square feet of living area. It sold for $355,000 in 2019.

ISLANDER CLUB OF LONGBOAT

John and Leisa Harding, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 34-N condominium at 2301 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Christopher Holder and Cynthia Jean Robison, of Prattville, Alabama, for $590,000. Built in 1970, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,235 square feet of living area. It sold for $535,000 in 2021.

$22,000,000

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST

MOON PHASES

TIDES